Surprisingly adventurous, vibrant, active and hip

Heed the call of the great outdoors and head to Boise, a city big on things like green spaces and bike sharing, where visitors and locals alike spend their free time river rafting and snow tubing down a 244-meter hill in the Bogus Basin. Boise also has a boisterous downtown scene, hosts its fair share of festivals and even has a river running through it that locals like to tube down in summer. A perfect combination of urban and outdoors, Boise is a place to have an adventure. Whether you’re hiking the Lewis and Clark Discovery Trail or chugging through the city on a Boise Brews Cruise, exploration will be a major part of your time here.

Visit the Idaho State Capitol, an impressive building to see and even more impressive once you’re inside, where tour guides introduce you to state history and tell the story of this remarkable structure. Head to the Basque Block to get acquainted with Boise’s unique heritage, which includes one of the largest concentrations of Basque people outside of that region. The block’s Basque Museum and Cultural Center showcases this population’s role in Boise culture and history; for an added treat, eat lunch in the center’s Basque Market. On the weekends, downtown comes alive with Capital City Public Market, which offers fresh produce as well as other goodies, artisan handiwork and art. For street art, don’t miss Freak Alley Gallery, the largest outdoor mural space of its kind. Round out your downtown crawl with a stop at Boise Fry Company, where the state’s signature tuber is the centerpiece.

Explorers of all ages will find the Discovery Center of Idaho compelling. This hands-on science center’s sleek, industrial interior is buzzing with continually updated interactive exhibits, as well as the Classics, the center’s cherished permanent collection. Set in pretty Julia Davis Park, the Boise Art Museum features contemporary and modern works and has an Art Experience Gallery for children younger than 12.

For natural discoveries, head to MK Nature Center in the Boise River Greenbelt and get your feet wet on a StreamWalk, where underwater viewing windows let you peek at the fish. Zoo Boise and Aquarium of Boise will take you one step closer to the area’s diverse animals. Have a giraffe or sloth bear encounter, or peer into a 6,435-liter tropical reef. Hike or bike the River Greenbelt, 40 kilometers of trail along the Boise River.

Fun Fact

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Locals pronounce the city's name "boy-see" not "boy-zee."

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Boise has the second-largest Basque population in the U.S.

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The Idaho State Capitol in Boise is the only capitol building in the U.S. that is heated via a geothermal system.